The annual wine event celebrating the south was held at the Grand Hotel Palatino in Monti, just steps away from the Ancient Roman Forum for three days straight – May 6th, May 7th and May 8th, 2023.
Riserva Grande in collaboration with Andrea Petrini of wine blog Percorsi di Vino along with seasoned food & wine journalist Luciano Pignataro brought to us again Beviamoci Sud, this year in its fifth edition. And the general consensus post event was that the expo attracting wine professionals, connoisseurs and lovers alike was bigger and better than ever.
Beviamoci Sud 2023, like previous years, appealed not only to those working in the beverage sector but to wine enthusiasts looking to broaden their horizons. On the program of events this year were tastings tables, seminars, masterclasses and wines spanning Vesuvius to Etna and all around the vicinity. From Campania and Caserta, Molise, Basilica, Puglia, Calabria and Sicily. And because the event was held in Roma, a few Lazio wines were represented as well. Partners this year included: Roma Wine Experience, Chronicles of Taste, Fluffiness, and Chiara Giannotti di Vino.TV.
With the mission and purpose of spreading awareness of the great wines, historical and cultural quality of the many different suitable territories of Southern Italy featuring wines that are distinct, much like the land (and people) itself – full of personality, flavor and intense character.
How do you measure success of these events? Not by bottles but with participation and turnout. Which, like the vino that flowed throughout the 3 days, was more than plentiful.
Beviamoci created not only an interest and visibility within the wine industry but the general public as well. This event also succeeded in educating both parties, especially with their three seminars this year – each one completely sold out. The first seminar was “Etna: The Secrets of its Slopes” allowing participants to delve into the general characteristics that make up wines, highlighting the nuances that can be traced from the four different sides of the volcano. It was also during this presentation that the new “Guide to Etna Wines” 2023 by Cronache di Gusto was presented by Titti Casiello. The second seminar was held during the second day of the Wine Expo on Sunday, May 7th – “Vesuvius, the Autochthonous Volcanic” covered the topic and the terrain of the viticulture of that famous Campanian volcano located between the Gulf of Naples, the Lattari Mountains and the Irpinia-Apennines, each one playing a significant role into the soil and in turn the wine growing from that land. Then there was “The Great Beauty of Sannio” or ‘Samnium’, the Latin exonym for a region in Southern Italy previously inhabited by the Samnites in ancient times. This third seminar at Beviamoci Sud shed light onto the great rebirth of this region as of today, highlighting the rich history, wines and culture featuring some labels for the most surprising blind tasting.
In addition, two major prizes were held on Monday being the third and last day of the Southern Italian Wine Expo in Rome. The “Excellence of Beviamoci Sud 2023” recognized the most prestigious labels which were carefully evaluated and selected by a panel of judges (wines exceeding 85 points and a few wines deserving “Special Mentions” obtaining a rating of over 90 points). Those wines and their respective categories are in alphabetical order below:
-BEST SPARKLING WINE
o Asprinio Classic Method Dosage Zero – Altocampo – Campania
o Asprinio Classic Method Mattia – De Angelis Asprinio - Campania
o The Stipula Bianco – Cantine del Notaio – Basilicata
- BEST WHITE
o Fiano D'Avellino Reserve Sequoia - Fonzone - Campania
o Principe G Bio - Spadafora Winegrowers in Sicily – Sicily
o Valle D'Itria Bianco Silos - Lasorte Cuadra - Puglia
- BEST ROSE
o Cirò Rosato Segno – Librandi – Calabria
o Piluc Orange Wine – Poggio Alla Meta – Lazio
o Rosé Torre-Kalena – Steiger-Kalena – Molise
- BEST RED
o Cirò Rosso Superiore Riserva Ripe del Falco – Ippolito 1845 – Calabria
o Marano Park - Giancarlo Ceci – Puglia
o Quæstio - Masseria di Sessa – Campania
- BEST SPECIAL WINE
o Elixir honey white wine – Pacienza Agriculture – Calabria
o Moscato Passito di Saracena – Cantine Viola – Calabria
The second awards ceremony was for the “Ambassadors of Beviamoci Sud 2023”, delivered to the establishments that best exhibited and promoted the wine production of Italy’s South in terms of the highest of quality and taste. There were as many as 50 restaurants from the most important regions of the South but also including Lazio, being in the country’s capital. I.e.: Almatò, 50 Kalò di Ciro Salvo, Alfredo alla Scrofa, Antica Pesa, Eggs, Armando al Pantheon, Idylio by Apreda, Le Tamerici, Mirabelle, Essenza, President Restaurant, Sora Maria e Archangel; Antica Osteria Nonna Rosa, Aria Restaurant, Hostaria Bacco Furore, Locanda Radici, Re Maurì, Gambero Rosso Restaurant, Restaurant Ruris, Le Bubbole Restaurant, Osteria degli Spiriti, PerBacco, and Primo Restaurant – just to name a few but each one showcasing some of the best wines which can be found in the South of Italy.
In the words of Luciano Pignataro: “This edition (of Beviamoci Sud) has confirmed the great interest of enthusiasts and operators in the sector with the wine productions of the South. This year’s edition of Beviamoci Sud 2023 saw participation from over 80 wine producers, around 500 wine labels and almost 1,000 visitors – resulting in many operators opting to add another day to their event stay!
So all of that being said – I’d say Beviamoci Sud 2023 was a HUGE success.